232 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 
THE USE AND FUNCTION OF STEAM IN 
RETORTING OIL-SHALES.* 
BY MARTIN J. GAVIN? AND J. J. JAKOWSKY.? 
The increasing demand for petroleum and its prod- 
ucts has turned attention, during the past few years, to 
the oil-shale deposits of the United States. A consider- 
able amount of material has been written regarding the 
methods of treating the shale for the recovery of the crude 
shale-oil and many processes and methods have been 
advocated. 
Outside of different mechanical arrangements and 
devices, the proposed retorts and methods for treating the 
shales by destructive distillation may be grouped, in a 
general way, under one of two heads; dry destructive 
distillation methods, and distillation in an atmosphere of 
superheated steam or gas. 
There are at the present time, a large number of 
shale retorting processes and methods being advocated, 
some using steam and others claiming that a good oil can 
be secured without the use of steam in the retort. 
Scotch oil-shale processes and practices may or may 
not be a criterion to be followed in this country, but since 
these plants are the only ones operating today on a large 
commercial scale, a brief description of the Scotch retorts 
is presented to make more clear an understanding of the 
discussion to follow on the uses and purposes of steam in 
retorting oil-shales. 
1Presented by permission of the Director, U. S. Bureau of Mines. 
2Oil-shale Technologist, U. S. Bureau of Mines. 
3Assistant Chemical Engineer, Dept. of Metallurgical Research. 
